


In and Out of the Flames

by skye_godlesslostsoul



Series: YJ/Arkham Series [1]
Category: Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Batman: Arkham - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Batman: Arkham (Video Games) Setting, Arkham Asylum, Arkham Asylum Staff are Bad Doctors, ArkhamVerse, Batbrothers (DCU), Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Angst (DCU), Batman: Arkham Knight Spoilers, Batman: Arkham Series (Video Games) Spoilers, Batsisters (DCU), Brainwashing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Family Reunions, Gen, Gotham City Police Department, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Batfamily (DCU), The Rogues Gallery (Batman), arkham city
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:54:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24744166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skye_godlesslostsoul/pseuds/skye_godlesslostsoul
Summary: Wally West died, Dick Grayson left the Team, and another kid was adopted by Bruce Wayne.Scarlett Hunter is a perky but aggressive girl, who was adopted by Bruce after she was saved by his alter ego.  But unbeknownst to him, his proteges, Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson have been training her.  She knows about their hero lives, and she determined to join in (to honor of the person that saved her).For Wally.However, she was suddenly thrown into something much bigger and dangerous.  Scarlett is on the run constantly with no sign of stopping.  It started in Gotham and has turned into a worldwide chase.  Two opposing sides after one person for different reasons.  One reason is clear, but what is the other?
Relationships: Artemis of Bana-Mighdall/Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Batfamily Members & Original Female Character(s), Jason Todd & Rose Wilson, Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain & Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, past Artemis Crock/Wally West - Relationship, past Jason Todd/Rose Wilson - Relationship
Series: YJ/Arkham Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789288
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. The Protégé

**Author's Note:**

> This is a separate story from the Bright Side Series I'm writing. It's another telling of Scarlett's story. It begins the same, but the journey and the ending are different. There will be similar elements, but this is indeed a DIFFERENT story.

_Well, aren't I the image of grace?_

Pushing herself back up off the ground, Scarlett continued to run with the pair of men closing in. She made a sharp turn into an alleyway. She knew where she was and where she needed to go. The only thing she didn't have control over as if they were there. But that's the plan. She had to lead these thugs to the rendezvous point and the others would jump them. Then they get the information they needed. It wasn't an ideal plan, but it was a plan of sorts.

She made a sharp turn where she hit a dead end. Flipping around, she saw the thugs smirking at her as the closed in on her. _This was where she needed to be. Next step, stall for time._ Scarlett made a panicked face as she looked for a way to 'escape'.

"There's nowhere to go, little girl." One of them spoke in an almost hushed voice. "I bet your rich daddy is wondering where you are."

"Yeah, don't you think it's a little late for you to be out and about?" Another one laughed. Scarlett saw something flash in his hand. _A pocket knife._ Scarlett forced herself to tear up. This caused them both to smile more. The one with the knife was about to make a move when the brains of the two spoke up.

"We should call the boss," The one with the knife looked at the other with a dumbfounded look. "Penguin has always wanted to get back at the Waynes. You know that and what do you know? We've got one of Bruce Wayne's kids here." He explained as he gestured towards Scarlett. She looked to rooftops seeing if they were there yet. "Not to mention, he wants to get Batman and the rest of them out of his way and if Batman hears we got a Wayne! Well, two birds with one stone."

"I guess that makes sense," The one with the knife responded, nodding. He glanced up at Scarlett again and then smirked wickedly. "But there's no harm in having a little bit of _fun_ first, right?" The other one began to smirk too as he looked up at Scarlett. He obviously agreed. _I don't think I'd like that, but I've got to keep playing along._

"Please, don't." She begged defenselessly. They came closer and closer to her and she was about to break character until she saw two shadows on the rooftops. The two idiots heard them and turned around, but they were both too late. The one with the knife was knocked out cold, while the _brains_ just stumble back. He looked as if he was going to run until the collar of his shirt was in one of the shadows' fists.

"Where's the Penguin?" Batgirl sharply questioned. The _brains_ of the pair apparently wasn't too smart, because he gave up that second. Penguin was in his lair by the docks. After she got all she needed, Batgirl knocked the guy out and turned to Scarlett. "Are you okay?!" She started to look grab at Scarlett's arms and face. "I'm sorry, Dick and I are late. We ran into a bit of trouble. But they didn't hurt you right?" Scarlett pushed Batgirl off her and laughed.

"I'm fine, B. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Yeah, but it was a really close call," Nightwing replied as he walked away from the now tied up idiots. "If something happened to you, Batman would have our heads. Well, my head."

"Relax, he doesn't even know I'm doing this. He's too busy with the whole 'Justice League find the Light's next plan' thing." Scarlett responded as she began to walk out of the alley. "But anywho, the next question is to get info from Penguin now or go home so I don't get caught?" Batgirl smiled.

"You already know that answer." Scarlett was about to leave the alley when Nightwing tossed her a hoodie. She turned to him confused.

"Just to make sure no one recognizes you."

"You think of everything, don't you?" Scarlett smiled as she left the alley and pulled the hoodie over her head. She flipped the hood up and leaned against the building waiting.

She knew the hoodie was Dick's because it was huge on her and Barbara was about her size. Not to mention the fact that she had stolen that very hoodie before. A few moments passed before Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson came out without their masks. Scarlett smiled and the three of them walked towards Wayne Manor, which wasn't too far. Snow began to fall which made Scarlett let out a deep breath, just see her breath in the air. She tucked her hands into the hoodie's pocket. The three of them entered the area where more people were walking on the sidewalk.

As Scarlett looked around, she saw richer families pass the poorer ones who surround fire in barrels and wore blankets with holes to keep warm. They passed by not even turning their heads to acknowledge them. She frowned. _Someday, something will be done._ They approached the giant metal gate that cut Wayne Manor off from the rest of Gotham. Scarlett turned to Dick and saw that Barbara and he were holding hands. Dick walked over with the key to the gate and unlocked it. When he faced Scarlett, she was smirking at him and then glanced at Barbara.

"Just get going!" He mumbled harshly, but he was obviously joking around. She saw the smile plastered on his face when he pushed her into the gated area. At first, she stumbled, but she got back on stable ground in a few moments. She gave Dick an angered look causing him to ruffle her hood which completely messed up her hair that was underneath it. It took the three of them about ten minutes to walk up the hill and end up on the doorstep of Wayne Manor. The door was already unlocked.

Scarlett opened the door and saw most of the lights were already on. _Please don't be home._ Scarlett walked further down the hall with Dick and Barbara right behind her. She approached the doorway to the kitchen where she heard someone. Peeking into the room, she saw Alfred washing dishes.

"It's impolite to sneak up on others, Ms. Hunter." He turned to face Scarlett which made Scarlett give him an apologetic smile. "And I suppose Master Dick and Ms. Gordon are there as well."

"Heya Alfie," Dick responded appearing in the doorway with Barbara.

"You're home late."

"The party ran long."

"I see," Scarlett, Barbara, and Dick waited for Alfred to question them further, but he didn't. Instead, he offered some hot chocolate that he had made for when they got home. Scarlett pulled her hood back and sat down at the island. Dick and Barbara followed. It only took Alfred a few minutes to reheat the hot chocolate and then give each of them a mug of it. "So, how was the party, Ms. Hunter?"

Memories of the men chasing her popped in her head and her getting their attention beforehand. "It was a rush."

"Yeah, but we're probably not going to be going there again," Barbara stated. "Or at least with Scar. Definitely too many older guys."

"They may have been older, but they had the minds of two-year-old kids." Scarlett joked. Barbara and she laughed.

"Well, I'm sure, Master Dick is looking after his little sister."

"Always, Alfie." He ruffled Scarlett's hair again.

"Stop messing with my hair, _Dick!_ " He raised an eyebrow at her. "What it's your name?"

"That better be what you meant."


	2. The Training

_Day 95 of feeling shitty_

_Batman. Bruce still doesn't know that I know. He still thinks I'm clueless to what he does. What the rest of the family does. I knew before he even took me in and I'm surprised that no one else sees it. Bruce is Batman. Dick is Nightwing. Barbara's Batgirl and Tim's Robin. I'm not stupid. Obviously, I didn't tell Batman I knew, but I told Barbara who told Dick._

_Then I found out what Dick was up too. He was trying to determine if Wally West, Kid Flash really was dead. After Bruce adopted me, I decided to help Dick with finding out the truth. I own it to him and to Kid Flash. He saved my life (multiple times) before he lost his own._

_It was only a few weeks before..._

_The accident._

Scarlett shook her head and pushed the book off her desk. It hit the floor with a loud thud. She threw her head back with her eyes shut tightly.

Barbara had her start journaling thoughts. She said it would help her get through them. It didn't. Most of her "journaling" consisted of her thoughts on how Bruce was stupid enough to not think that she knew and her thoughts on her training. Scarlett started training with Dick and Barbara roughly five months ago. That was when she told them that she knew about Nightwing and Batgirl, their vigilante personas.

 _Speaking of which..._ Scarlett thought to herself as she glanced over at the clock. _Time to go._

Before leaving the room, she grabbed her gym bag and strapped it tightly to her chest. She slid down the railing into the living room and almost hopped past Alfred.

"Morning, Alfred!" She spun around with a smile. "I'm heading over to Dick's."

"Alright, Ms. Hunter. Just be careful and make sure to eat today. You need to take care of yourself." Scarlett's smile softened.

"I know, Alfie. I will."

Alfred quickly picked up that Scarlett forgot to eat sometimes. Before she lived in the Manor, she would come to visit with Tim, and she more often than not forgot to eat while there. One time, her blood pressure dropped and she passed out when she stood up. If Tim wasn't there, she would have bashed her head on the coffee table. Since then, Alfred always reminded her to eat and even randomly gave her something to eat. It was nice to have someone looking out for her, but she felt bad that he was worried about her.

Scarlett walked into the garage where an array of vehicles sat. Most of them were Bruce's, obviously, but Tim also had a few. Scarlett, however, had a single motorcycle, a 2016 Honda CB500F Sport Bike. Bruce bought it for her after her old bike was destroyed in the _accident._ He said he got it for her because she needed her own ride. But something told Scarlett, he was trying to get her mind off the accident. It worked, at least when she drove out the first time, but you can only distract yourself from grief for so long.

Scarlett parked in front of the warehouse where she met Dick and Barbara every weekend. They trained her in fighting and the art of hacking. Surprisingly, the fighting took longer to learn. There were many ways to fight. With weapons; without weapons. Offensive; defensive. Though, she also had to learn endurance and _patience_ , as cheesy as that sounded, but having the ability to stay calm could be the difference between life and death.

The warehouse, they met at, was pretty much Dick's version of the _Batcave_ (Tim's words not hers). It was filled with training and exercise equipment, and high tech computers, that were hooked up to the League's and the infamous Batcomputer.

"And she's finally here!" Dick announced from the top of a vantage point. _Acrobatics._ A technique that Scarlett was still learning. The whole _defying the center of gravity_ just didn't work well with her.

"I'm only two minutes late," She replied as she dropped her bag on the ground.

"And usually you're early."

"You yell at me when I'm early."

Dick laughed and sat his head in his hand as he leaned forward, "So, I shouldn't yell at you for being late." Scarlett shrugged with a small smile.

"Makes up for when I came early."

"Well, since you're late and I already started training without you," He gestured down at the gymnastic equipment. "You can go ahead and get up here yourself."

"Wow, how about a challenge for her, Grayson?" Barbara joked as she walked over with a bo-staff and covered in sweat. She most likely had finished sparing with the training program she had created. Barbara was smart like that. She could create a training program herself (which trained her brain) and then use it without an issue. Barbara started laughing.

"What?"

"You're thinking about my amazing fighting skills and technological mastery," Barbara said as she leaned on the top of the bo-staff.

"Cocky much?"

"Says the showoff."

"Oh my god, I am still here..." Scarlett drew out as she covered her eyes, but her smile revealed her amusement. Barbara pulled her into a side hug and kissed her temple. "And you're both super corny."

"I love you, girlie! I swear!"

Scarlett pushed herself out of Barbara's grasp and jump up onto one of the metal beams. She curled her feet around the rod and stuck her tongue out. As she flipped onto the other beams, Scarlett made her way up to Dick. There was suddenly a ticking that wasn't there a moment ago. She stopped on top of the beam, just a few feet from Dick. It wasn't long until he heard it too, but he located where it came from. Just beneath the platform, he sat on.

Neither of them had the chance to try and save the other.


	3. Targeted

Burning.

Smoke.

_Screaming._

No...

She couldn't be back there.

This already happened. _This isn't real!_

Her flesh felt as if it was aflame. She was near fire. _No._ She was _in_ the fire. The screaming was her own. She coughed. Smoke had filled her lungs, but it didn't stop her screams.

Scarlett's eyes shot open as she found a pain shooting through her legs and up her spine. She looked around seeing rubble and flames. Memories of the recent events flashed through her mind. She wasn't back _there_. This was _real_ danger right _now_. With her palms, she pushed at the rubble covering her lower half. It barely budged.

Suddenly, a pair of hands pulled her back down and something came over her mouth. An oxygen mask, she realized as she relaxed, but then she saw the masked individuals that were holding her down and administrating the mask. She struggled against them but to prevail. Her lungs began to burn. Something _foreign_ was entering them. _Attacking_ them.

Gunshots rang out, but Scarlett couldn't distinguish it as she continued to fight against the masked figures. They stepped away and drew their own weapons, rifles of some sort. Instantly, Scarlett thrashed around as she ripped at the mask but couldn't get a grasp on it.

A hand clasped over hers and helped remove the mask. Scarlett came to face with a girl with long wavy, white hair. Something white was covering one of her eyes. _A patch._ Scarlett thought. She continued to thrash around.

"Easy, kid. We'll get you out of here. All three of you." The girl tried to say to her, but most of it was registered as mumbling. Scarlett's hands returned to the rubble on her waist and legs. "Hang on, kid." The girl glanced around and then called out, "Bizzaro!"

Scarlett suddenly started to cough violently. With eyes shut, she coughed into a tight fist. The girl held her in place as the rubble was lifted from her legs. Pain shot through her legs and her chest. Her coughing continued until the point she was unconscious in the girl's arms.

"Red Him's friend okay?" Bizarro asked as the rubble fell away.

"She will be once she's out of here."

"Ravager!" A masked figure yelled from the edge of the remains of the warehouse. "Get the kid out of here!"

"On it!" She yelled back as she carefully pulled Scarlett into her arms. "Bizarro," She stated as she walked towards a wall of the building beside them. "Give me a boost."

Bizarro held his hands out and once one foot was down, Ravager was in the air. She landed on the roof and kept her balance as she looked up at the ship they traveled in. She rushed into the medbay and rested Scarlett on a gurney. She started to get an oxygen mask (connected to an actual oxygen tank) on her when the masked figure entered.

"Where's the other two?" Ravager questioned as the masked figure grabbed the saline drip.

"On their way to the hospital." He replied simply.

"What?!"

"They were after her not them."

"How could you know that, Hood?" She scoffed.

"Dick and Barbara ended up closest to the door after the explosion. If they were after them, they wouldn't have been there when we showed up." He explained as he inserted the IV and started the saline drip.

"Why would they be after a kid who doesn't even know the League or Team?"

The Red Hood froze in place. His thoughts went elsewhere for a split second. Ravager saw it and looked at him worried. He shook his head softly. "There's no good reason."


	4. Weakened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback at the beginning to a traumatic event involving house fire

_The fire was spreading throughout the apartment building. My family's apartment building. I didn't have many family members since most of them had passed away from old age. We all lived in Gotham in this very building. I don't know what started the fire, but_ _I was separated from my family and friends when it started. Now I was trying to find an exit out of the building. So far I had no success._

_The fire exits were blocked, the same with most of the windows and stairwells._ _Which limited my options._

_So I came up with a different plan. Try to stay away from the fire. Which was the unluckily in the corner of a room. The fire was slowly getting closer and closer._

_I started to cough. I must have inhaled too much smoke._

_My eyes started to water and blur._

_My legs were starting to give out._

_But I had to keep fighting the pain. But it wasn't long before my legs finally gave out underneath me. I looked around. All I could see was fire everywhere. No person in sight, which was a good thing when it came to others staying out of harm's way. My cough was getting worse and there was no way I could lift myself up off the now burning hot floor. With all my heart, I hoped so much that my family had got out in time. I coughed louder and looked at the fire that could only be a few feet away._

_When I was about to give up, I started to hear footsteps. The footsteps sounded very familiar. I turned my head toward the origins of the sound. All I saw was a blur of black, but I could tell who it was by the sound of the footsteps._

_"Beth," My sister. She must have come back in knowing I was still in here. She gently picked me like I was about break at any moment. On a normal day, I would yell at her to put me down. That I could walk on my own. That I wasn't just a little kid. To not treat me as a child, but today I was too weak. Not to mention, there was no way I was going to be able to walk. Beth was running while she held me close to her chest. I could feel my heart nearly jump out of my chest every time she jumped over something. Guess track and field came in handy after all._

_All of a sudden, I heard a loud crash and the next thing I knew, I was on the burning floor. I tried to get up but my body was too weak. Though, I could move my head. So, I turned to see Beth was on the ground under rumble. She seemed to still be conscious and in obvious pain. I tried to call out to her, but nothing came out. I heard hurried footsteps approach Beth and I. I saw a black figure standing over Beth. It looked like they were trying to help her, but she was refusing their help._

_"Help her."_

_I heard her say._

_"Save her."_

_The figure came towards me and scooped me up. They ran with me, leaving Beth behind. I heard something shatter right before we were outside the smokey building. I forced my eyes to stay open as I watched the apartment building started to crumble. I screamed out for Beth, knowing I wouldn't get an answer. I was filled with sudden strength and I pushed myself out of the figure's arms. I ran towards the building that was now falling down. I was pulled and held back. I screamed louder._

_Calling out for her. My sister who I never saw again because she saved me..._

Scarlett was awake with a sudden jolt and gasp. She felt her heart beating faster than it should and tears threatening her eyes. After giving herself a moment to realize it was just another nightmare, she brought the back of her hand to cover her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked the pillow beneath her. Her cries were mostly silent except for the occasional sniffle, but it was muffled. She rubbed her tears away and looked down. Panic set in when she saw the oxygen mask. Quickly she pulled it away as she sat up. She glanced around and knew she was _not_ in a hospital.

While the smell of medical and cleaning chemicals were spot on, the sleek, white walls were the first give away. Then she saw the tech. It was much more advanced than any equipment that would be in a hospital. At least on Earth. That's why the thought crossed her mind. She wasn't on Earth. She was becoming more anxious by the second. Once she noticed it, she turned off and removed the IV carefully. She tried to unclip the heart monitor that was attached to her finger, but it seemed to be locked in place.

Standing up, she felt some slight tingles in her legs. When she took a step forward, pain and realization struck her. Scarlett fell back on the floor and stiffened her legs. She looked down to see the bandages that were bounded around her legs. The rubble, on top of her legs from the warehouse, probably did some damage. She should have realized that beforehand. Looking around, she searched for something to aid her in walking. She _needed_ to get out of here, wherever here was. She settled with the rod that held the saline drip.

Picking up the tube connected to the IV, she wrapped it around one of the hooks and then started to try walking with it. The wheels at the bottom were both helpful and difficult when trying to walk. It took a few tries but she was eventually confident enough to leave the room.

After exiting the room, she found herself in a hall of shades of purple and light blue. A purple rug was stretched down the center of the hall. Pale metal walls, ceiling, and floor curved together to create the hallway. She stepped out while rolling the IV holder. The smell of cleaning and medical chemicals were gone once the door closed. Instead, her senses were filled by the cold air that surrounded her. She glanced down both ends of the hall and saw a window. Slowly and carefully, she walked towards the window. Maybe she'd see something that would tell her where she was.

When she reached the window, she was shocked to find a sky full of stars. It was as if light pollution didn't exist. She looked down to see reflections of the stars and the moon. _Water_.She realized she was on a ship and moving across the ocean. _But who did the ship belong to?_

Abruptly, she was sent into a coughing fit, even though she tried to hold it back. Pain struck her chest as she gripped the IV holder tighter. Her head pounded suddenly and she began to feel lightheaded. Releasing the IV, she let her hands fall to the window sill and held herself up. With eyes closed, her head continued to pound. One hand, clenched in a fist, returned to her mouth as her coughing fit resumed.

A pair of hands went her sides as if to hold her steady. She swung her elbow back only to hit padded armor. She struggled against them until they spoke.

"Calm down, kid. Not one of the bad guys." A man's voice spoke sternly. She would have retorted sarcastically to him, but her coughing prevented her from doing so. "We need to get you back on oxygen."

Scarlett was in the man's arms instantly as he picked her up and began to bring her back towards the room she came from. She hit her palm against his chest. At first, it seemed like an attempt to push herself out of his arms. However, Red Hood realized, once he stopped her from pushing at him, she was shaking. He sighed and placed her down just before the door.

"I'll be right back." He stepped into the room and the door closed behind him. Scarlett had stopped coughing, but her head still pounded. Her breathing had become labored and her sight was darkening. Red Hood came out with a portable oxygen machine and a mask. He quickly secured it over her mouth and kneeled down beside her.

Scarlett's mind was hazy as the oxygen moved through her mouth and nose into her lungs. She glanced at the Red Hood. He wore a domino mask with red lenses. He had a defined scar from his temple towards his ear. He also had a defined jaw that tightened slightly when her hand came up. Her hand went to the side of his face and inched towards the scar, only tracing the edge. She couldn't shake the thought that she had _seen_ this person before.

Red Hood allowed her to do so as he watched to make sure she didn't have another coughing fit. Instead, her breathing steadied and her eyes fluttered, struggling to stay awake. She took her hand away from him and placed it straight on the oxygen mask. Her hand moved out towards him and then fell to the ground.

"You're welcome," He replied aloud and with sign.

Once Scarlett's breathing steadied to normal, Red Hood scooped her up in one of his arms, while he carried the oxygen machine in the other hand. She slowly closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder. He walked down the hall and into the command deck. The Amazon, Artemis was the first to notice both of them.

"Hood, I know we said she got out of the medbay, but that didn't mean bring here."

"She can't stay in there," He replied simply as he brought her to an empty seat.

"I can stay in there with her," Rose added as she stood up. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"She has latrophobia." When that was said, Rose fell back into her seat. She should have known that and she felt stupid for not. Red Hood sat in his seat which was beside her.

"What?" Arsenal questioned leaning away for a moment. "What kind of disease is that?"

"It's a phobia, Roy." Rose began to explain. "It's the fear of medical places and people."

"Why would someone be scared of people that help heal?" Starfire questioned, not looking away from where she was driving. Hood sighed and answered:

"Because... the last time she woke up in a hospital, she was told she was an orphan."


	5. Sick and Afraid

Ever since the ship landed, Rose had been with Scarlett, worried they'd startle her if they tried to move her. The others were on the island while Rose sat in Red Hood's seat waiting for Scarlett to wake. She stared at the tablet screen reading about 

Two hours passed before Scarlett stirred. She stretched out her legs, causing pain to surge through her. Rose dropped the tablet on the counter and walked over to her.

"Easy, kid. Your legs are still messed up. It's only been a few hours since the explosion." Rose explained. Scarlett recognized her as the girl from after the explosion as she continued to speak.

"My name is Rose or as you may hear Ravager. You probably have a lot of questions," She stretched out her back. "I don't blame you. So, I'll go ahead and help you to the others, and everything can be explained." Rose went to pick up Scarlett when Scarlett's hand shot out stopping her. As Scarlett began to push herself up off the chair, Rose shook her head. "Do you not remember me telling you that your legs are jacked-up? You can't-" She stopped talking when Scarlett stood up and walked a few steps from the chair. "Or you can."

Scarlett looked down at the oxygen machine on the ground, which she was currently attached to. She could go any farther on her own. Rose picked up the machine with a knowing smile.

"So if you want to walk on your jacked up legs, that's fine, but..." She stood beside her. "You're going to use me as support while I carry this." Scarlett's brows furrowed. "Or I carry you _and_ this thing. Those are your two choices."

Due to Scarlett's stubbornness, Rose ended up carrying Scarlett over her shoulder. Not surprisingly, Scarlett tried to fight her way out of her grasp. But, she ended up coughing harshly into her oxygen mask, which tired her out again. Rose walked up to Red Hood and Arsenal, who were cleaning up weapons (a common practice that was "therapeutic" for them). Rose kicked a chair over so that it was beside Red Hood. She dropped Scarlett carefully on the chair and once she stood up and saw Scarlett's face, she laughed.

"You're the one who had to be a stubborn ass."

"What happened?" Arsenal questioned as he hung his bow loosely in his hand.

"She's mad I carried her," Rose replied simply as she brought a chair for herself over. "She was so sure that she could walk on her own."

"Not happening," Red Hood shot down as he continued to clean the pistol in hand. Scarlett threw her head back and rolled her eyes. Arsenal leaned forward as Scarlett's head came back up.

"You're looking worse."

"She was coughing again," Rose admitted.

That's when the Red Hood looked up. Scarlett's skin had become increasingly pale. Her breathing was slow but labored. Her actions and reactions seemed to be slower. He noticed when she tried to switch who she was looking at, her eyes dilated and took longer than it should.

"How long ago did she wake up?"

"About ten minutes," Rose answered. "She started to cough like crazy on our way here."

Red Hood dropped his gun on the chair and scooped Scarlett back up into his arms with the oxygen machine. He spoke to her as he walked towards the room they kept technology and medical supplies. "I know you're probably terrified and can't really focus on anything, but I'm gonna make sure you're okay. I'm going to take care of you. I promise."

Scarlett was actually very aware but unable to react. She kept scanning his face. She knew she had seen him before, but she didn't know where or when. They entered a chilled room, where Scarlett was laid on an examination table. Red Hood noticed her shaking and tried to ease her anxiety.

"Nothing bad is gonna happen to you here, okay?"

Red Hood took a nasal cannula, which was hooked to oxygen supplied in the room and, and switched Scarlett's oxygen mask for it. It was only then she realized how dry her mouth was. Once the cannula was in place and the oxygen was on, Red Hood brought a bottle of water with a straw up to her mouth.

As she took small sips, Red Hood noticed the rash form across her mouth to her jaw. There was some dryness around her nose and mouth, which was from the oxygen supply, but that wouldn't cause her rash. Her head turned away from the straw as she began to cough into her fist. He placed the water down and grabbed an IV.

"I know you hate this stuff, but you need the IV so we can administer medicine quicker." He explained as he took her small hand into his rough hand. Her fingers twitched when he brought the needle to her veins. "Nothing bad will happen here." As he administered the IV and medicine, Scarlett started to relax, but she was still jumpy.

_Always picking the traumatized ones huh, Bruce?_


	6. An Attack on Her

_Three Months Later_

Scarlett looked out at the small, rolling waves and thought about the snow that was probably falling in Gotham. She missed the city, her home but knew it was safer this way. The Light was after her. She didn't know why, but they had been hunting her since the explosion. The group who had saved her from that said explosion, known as the Outlaws, kept her away from the Light's clutches since. However, they had to go to their separate ways.

Artemis, the red-headed Amazon had gone back to her home of Bana Mighdall to help her sisters rejoin their forces with the Amazons of Themyscira. It was not for war, but for politics. Since Themyscira was joining the United Nations, the Amazons of Bana Mighdall decided to join as well. Instead of sending a representative from each group, they needed to decide together who was the right person for this role. Since Artemis was the title of Shim'Tar, the champion of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall, she decided she needed to be present.

Bizarro was a different story. He was exploring his newly found intellect, which came from constant injections of Kryptonite. None of them liked it, but Bizarro was already set. He was going to use this new intelligence he had found and help who he could. Someday he would stop. But not now.

Starfire and Arsenal were together fighting for her homeworld, Tamaran. An alien race, known as the Blight, was attacking and attempting to take over. While Starfire was hesitant about saving her people, Arsenal had convinced her to and was ready to help her do so.

Now, Scarlett was alone with the last two Outlaws, the Red Hood and Ravager. Currently, they were on the rocky shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Rose was sitting beside her while Red Hood was inside the safe house, finding the next place to move to. It was about two weeks into her time with the Outlaws when she found out the Red Hood was Jason Todd. The reason he looked familiar was from the pictures that hung in Wayne Manor. Bruce never had the heart to take them down and, of course, neither did Alfred. It was a month before Scarlett learned the story of what happened to him.

Jason was on a mission with some of the Team and Batman when the Joker captured him. The Joker then beat him to near death with a crowbar and then blew him up. Scarlett knew that part, but what she didn't know was that Jason _woke up_ in his grave. Somehow, someway Jason Todd came back to life and dug himself out of his grave. He was later found by Talia al Ghul, who took him in. For a whole year, Jason was in a vegetative state with no signs of improvement; that didn't stop Talia from pushing him into the Lazarus pit.

The Lazarus effect took him out of the vegetative state, but he struggled with finding a way to _live_ after being "dead" for so long. For the longest time, he was extremely pissed at Bruce, still was, when he found out the Joker was still alive and hurting people. It wasn't until he went through extreme training with some of the best of the best and the worst of the worst, with the intention of killing the Joker and Batman, that Jason came to terms that it wasn't worth it. However, it really was put out of his mind when he met Starfire and Arsenal. They were the people that brought him out and when they came into his life, Rose, Artemis, and Bizarro helped him too.

All of them were just outcasts, who had no one to turn too. Now, they had made a family of their own. The Outlaws were a family, even though none of them would admit it, Scarlett saw it as clear as day.

"I'm gonna grab a drink," Rose suddenly announced as she stood up. She stretched out her back as she continued, "Do you want anything, Scar?"

Scarlett shook her head with a smile, "I'm good."

"Alright, kiddo." She ruffled her hair as she walked to the safehouse.

Scarlett looked out at the lake with her head sitting on top of her knees. She pulled one of Jason's many leather jackets tightly around her as the wind picked up. Her eyes closed as she listened to the branches sway and the water hit the rocks.

It was no wonder that the Joker snuck up on her so easily with a rag drenched in chloroform. She knew it was him by his sickening laughter and cruel voice. "You're looking a little tired, _kiddo._ " He taunted with Rose's pet name for Scarlett. "Let's go catch some Zzzzzz..."

Jason was outside a few minutes later. When he didn't see her, he started to walk out towards the shore. All that was left was his jacket-

And a red hood.


	7. The Outcome and the Reaction

When Scarlett woke up, her head was already aching and more so, when something was swung at her. A hard metal object had knocked her down from the chair she woke up in. She groaned as she looked up in shock.

The Crime Prince of Gotham stood there with a crowbar in hand. He didn't even look at her when he started to speak.

"You have to understand. I don't usually take gigs up from anybody! But this," He walked around her and started to swing the crowbar around. "This was too good to pass up!"

His shoes clicked as he continued, "They told me that the kid I killed years ago was still alive and sure enough-" He stopped and laughed. "The kid took my name!"

"But that's not why they contacted me," The crowbar slammed down beside her ear. She flinched but noticed he still hadn't looked at her. "They said a new contender was entering the ring, and she needed to be taught the ropes." He walked around her so he was at her feet. "You know what I said?"

Fear struck Scarlett's core when he finally looked at her. His pale green eyes only added to the chilling effect his smile brought. She understood then what Jason went through, but she was bout to understand a lot more.

"I said," He raised the crowbar overhead. "I'm just the guy!"

Despite nearly being three years since then, Scarlett was still haunted by those memories. They came in flashes, but she had grown used to them. They didn't make her stop in her tracks anymore. They didn't control her life, at least not like they used to.

"Lieutenant," She didn't need to turn to see that it was a militia soldier addressing her. "The Commander is asking for you."

"Understood, I'll be there. Dismissed." She spoke in a monotone. Once the door closed, she looked at her reflection in the window. Scars were littered across her face. Two scars were on her lower lip. One went all the way to her chin while the other stopped only slightly below her mouth. Another scar was stretched across the center of her forehead to her temple. Those were just the scars that remained, but she could picture all the bloody cuts and gashes that once cover her entire face.

 _But that doesn't matter anymore._ Scarlett told herself as she pulled her mask over her mouth. The mask wasn't needed to conceal her identity since she looked so different. The majority of her hair had turned white and some parts silver. Her eyes were bright green and seemed supernatural. _They_ wouldn't recognize her.

She left the room with a hardened stare. Every soldier stepped away and never put themselves in her way. They knew better.

"You called." She announced her arrival to the room.

"Tonight, we begin," Jason answered as he pulled a bag from the desk. "His toxin's in here. Just release it when ready."

Scarlett noticed that he already had some of his armor on. _The Arkham Knight_. That was his new persona, and a nod to his time in Arkham. After the Joker got to Scarlett, he lured Jason to the Asylum and tortured him yet again.

She glanced at the 'J' scar on his cheek. Most people at first glance would see a hook, but it was most definitely a 'J'. Scarlett and Jason were branded by the Joker. Her scar was just beneath her ear, but just as visible as Jason's.

Scarlett took the jacket from the bag and made sure it covered her own armor. _The White Knight_. It was a name she had received from Talia al Ghul. _"You're not like Bruce."_ She told her. _"There is too much light in you. You are his polar opposite. The Light in the Dark. The White Knight."_

It stuck.

"You ready?" She questioned as she swung the bag over her shoulder.

"I was ready months ago," Jason replied. "Hell, years ago. But now, everything and everyone else is ready. You?"

Scarlett smiled behind her mask as she turned away, "Gotham's going to be on its knees. _He's_ going to be on his knees."

Pauli's Diner.

The location was picked personally by Scarecrow for his first attack. His _demonstration_ of what was to come. Scarlett was sitting at a back booth with her hood drawn up and a vape in hand. The toxin was already released from the bag. The vape was just a cover for the smoke around her. Now, she waited for it to take effect and then leave.

She knew someone would approach her about her "smoking", but she didn't suspect an officer to be the one doing so. She looked at the time. _Five minutes._ The fear toxin was already in everyone's systems. She just had to make the first move.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" He tapped her shoulder. "There's no smoking in here."

Slowly, she turned her head and then lashed out against him. Judging by the shocked look on his face, he didn't see her. He saw _something_ else that struck fear in him. She grabbed his collar and threw him down. Everyone was acting on fear now.

Before running out the door, she grabbed the police officer's gun. No one needed to die from this _demonstration_.She rushed out the door and quickly ran down an alley, where she removed her jacket, throwing it into the dumpster, and unloaded the gun.

"This demonstration used just five ounces of my latest toxin." Scarecrow's voice could be heard across Gotham. "Tomorrow, this will seem like child's play. Gotham... This is your _only_ warning."


	8. Arkham Knight

Halloween.

The one and only day the rest of the world looks like Gotham's daily life. However, that wasn't the case this year. Everyone had left Gotham after Scarecrow's threat. Nearly six million people got up and left; the only people left were criminals and the few brave souls left in GCPD. That included Commissioner Gordon. He had suffered at the hands of the Joker too many times. His daughter. His wife. His own sanity. But that wasn't his fault. Batman should have ended that cycle long ago.

Anger had refilled Scarlett's system. She could feel it pulsing through her veins. It almost felt mechanical. She couldn't remember the last time she didn't feel negative emotions. Her mind was always on what the Joker did to her and how much she hated Bruce for letting it happen over and over again. Sometimes she felt like something kept force these things into her mind.

_Grief._

_Remorse._

She didn't know if those were the reasons.

Scarlett rolled her shoulders back and relaxed herself. She had been preparing for this day for two years and her abilities have been in the works for even longer. She was ready. Jason was ready.

The roar of an engine announced the Batman's arrival. Scarlett moved from her vantage point and looked down at the Batmobile, which was heading for Panessa Studios. A broken-down movie studio Wayne Enterprise bought out and one of Batman's many hideouts. Scarlett swung from the building and towards the studio.  
  
  
  
  
  


Once she was in, Scarlett stayed close to the ceiling as she looked down at the people below her. It wasn't just Tim and Barbara like she hoped and it wasn't just the other two _sidekicks_ , Orphan and Spoiler. It was most of the Justice League, Team, and Outsiders. She dialed into her wrist controls and made the call.

"Arkham," She addressed as the screen appeared through her contact lenses. "Deathstroke was right. The other heroes have been called."

"All of them?" His distorted, disguised voice questioned. She pulled out a small, sphere-shaped camera, placed it on the beam she sat upon, and directed it at the floor.

"No, as far as, I can see," She looked back down. "The original eight Justice Leaguers, mince Hal Jordan and Arthur Curry, Black Canary, _new_ Aquaman, Zatanna, and Lightning are here. Even Red Arrow, Will Harper, is here."

"The Team?"

"All Outsiders present. Halo, Miss Martian, and Tigress-"

"They're really worried then." He laughed. "Good."

"These players weren't supposed to be here." Scarlett countered. "This was about _him_. Not anyone else." Jason shook his head.

"They don't deserve what Bruce is gonna get, but they do need to learn their lesson. They need to learn what _needs_ to happen. From. This. Point. Forward." Scarlett felt her throat tightened, but her mind became clear.

"Understood, sir. Setting up surveillance."

Black Lightning looked up at the ceiling and scanned the area, but she was long gone. He tried to find anything that seemed out of the ordinary, anything that wasn't there when they had arrived. But that wasn't going to happen. Not only were Scarlett's camera and mics well hidden, but they also masked their electro frequency as well. Someone like Black Lightning wouldn't be able to detect them.

As she placed the last mic in place, she glanced at Barbara, who was facing the computer screen. Regret filled her chest and tightened its hold. She couldn't help but look at the wheelchair she was now confided in. A text came through. _Deathstroke._

_Stop reminiscing. You want to prevent it from happening again? Get the job done._

Scarlett turned away from her original life and left the studio. No one would get hurt. Not on her watch.


	9. Found

Scarlett was laying in a pool of her blood and tears when the Joker finally left. Her eyes were dry as she breathed unsteadily. During the past few hours, Scarlett lost pieces of her, both physically and emotionally. She knew she wouldn't be able to get very far if she tried to move. Her lower left leg was gone along with her dominant, right hand. The Joker removed them piece-by-piece. Starting with the first joint of her smallest finger and toe, he removed them with the crowbar. Each time the metal was driven into her body, she screamed out.

No one ever came and he never stopped.

The door opened. _Back so soon..._ She told herself and prepared for the worst. It never came, however. Instead, a small, gentle hand touched her face. She looked up as best as she could to see a woman with long black hair. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line as if in deep thought.

"I am sorry this has been done to you, dear," She spoke softly as she pushed hair behind Scarlett's ear. "They only wish to attack my beloved."

Scarlett leaned against her head into her hands. Her head was pounding. Just when she thought the memories stopped having a hold over her, they proved her wrong. It didn't help when she saw pieces of her past like the car that sat in front of her. Unbeknownst to her, Deathstroke stood a few yards away, watching her.

"Savage," He said into the earpiece. "The hold is weakening again."

"I see... Very well then." Savage replied deeply. "Dispose of her."

Deathstroke pulled his sidearm out and placed a longer barrel at the end. He usually killed using his sword, but he couldn't hesitate or allow her a chance. Scarlett had been trained brutally. She had been _programmed_ at this point. His gun cocked, making Scarlett jump up. She looked at him in disbelief.

"Slad-" She started to question but the gunshot cut her voice off and knocked her off the top of the gate. His gun remained raised as he muttered:

"Sorry, kid."

Once again, Scarlett was laying in a pool of her own blood immobilized. The bullet had torn right through her side. It didn't help when her back hit the tough hood of the Batmobile. Blood had come up from her throat, most likely from her fall. She coughed up more blood, but that was the only movement she could do.

Explosions raked around her. ACE Chemicals was crumbling down and soon she would be beneath it. She wasn't afraid though. She was numb. The only feeling she had was the pain.

Batman had rushed out of the central mixing chamber after pulling the wall off with Batmoblie's winch. He wouldn't have seen Scarlett if her blood wasn't everywhere with her white, long hair. He didn't even question it when he picked her up and placed her quickly in the back of the Batmobile. Scarlett looked up with bright green eyes and wished for the thoughts of hatred to leave her memories.

But it didn't. It only shifted from Bruce to herself.

After driving out of the collapsing building, Bruce called Alfred, but he didn't stop driving. He called to let him know he was alright and then tell him to keep looking for Barbara. He then headed to Panessa Studios instinctively. He could bring her to GCPD and tell Gordon what had happened because it would mean looking for Barbara sooner. But the girl's wounds were too serious. She needed to be treated by someone with medical experience.

_Canary._

If she was still there, she would be able to help her. Then Bruce could find out what she was doing there and what she knew.

"Robin," He said through the comms. "I need to open the emergency road entrance."

"Is everything alright?"

"I have someone with potentially fatal wounds. Is Canary still there?"

"None of them have left, Batman. You should let them help. This is more than just Gotham and you know that."

Bruce didn't reply after that instead he kicked the afterburner on and sped to the studio's entrance. He drove down into the secret base, where he was quickly greeted by Black Canary. The back of the car opened to show the nearly unconscious girl. A moment of hesitation hit him, but when he saw the girl being placed on the gurney, he knew what had to happen.

"Nightwing, Robin, I need you to take a team to the Clock Tower. Oracle's been taken." Before Dick could freak out, he continued. "You're right. This is more than Gotham and I'm asking for help now." Kaldur placed a hand on Dick's shoulder to reassure him. Once they left, Bruce went to the girl's side.

"Why the sudden change of heart, Batman?" Canary questioned. He didn't reply right away. Instead, he took the girl's hand into his own and looked at her face. She looked at him with now teary, dark blue eyes.

"For a daughter."


	10. The Remains of Scarlett Hunter

Scarlett was sitting up on the gurney now. Her side wound was already healing, which was normal to her but was bewildering to both Bruce and Dinah. She didn't need to explain though. Bruce wasn't going ask questions and Dinah decided against it when she saw the rest of Scarlett's scars. They were stretched across her back, stomach, and arms. There were only two scars on her chest. They were parallel to each other and started from her collarbone to where her heart was. Some scars were clean and precise. _Surgical scars._ Others were dark and jagged. _Torture._ Scarlett knew every scar, but for some reason, her body felt foreign to her. Was it because of the brainwashing? Or was it because of the chip that Bruce had just removed from the side of her head?

Her reflection was someone she didn't recognize. The same reflection she was studying yesterday. Her hand traced the scars across her lip and then the one on her forehead. She then combed her fingers gently over her newly shaved sides. The bump and stitches where Bruce had removed the chip were already healing. It didn't hurt when she traced over it.

"Scarlett," Bruce finally broke the tension. His voice was softer when he spoke. He had removed his mask and was standing beside her. She knew the look he was probably giving her. It would be one of pity, sympathy, and probably some guilt. "I have to ask-"

"I know."

Silence returned and Scarlett knew she was the one who was supposed to continue. Her heart was racing. Her mind still clouded from the control chip. But, she was the one who _had_ to continue.

"I _was_ with the Joker. He tortured me and left me for dead. I didn't. Not yet at least." She rolled her head around on her neck. "I was held by the Light for a while with Ra's and then Ra's left. He tried to keep me, but Savage didn't let that happen." She looked at her hands. "Then I was locked in the Asylum with Joker and then in Arkham City with Strange."

That was all he was going to get and Bruce was okay with that. From her unsteady heart rate on the monitor and her fidgeting, he knew that it was too much to talk about. They would get back to it. Just not tonight. He did note the short mention of both Joker and Strange. Joker was someone he already knew had hurt Scarlett, but Strange was a surprise.

A few months after she went missing, pieces of Scarlett's arm and leg showed up around Gotham. There were blood splatters with them and every piece that was found was drenched in Joker toxin. That was the other reason why Bruce was already sure of Scarlett's identity.

"Lucius had sent new prosthetics for you. We had them built since we didn't have evidence that you were truly..." He hesitated but continued. "Gone." He stepped away and pulled a case from a tall capsule. After opening the case, Scarlett was able to see prosthetics that could perfectly replace the ones she wore. _I guess they found all the body pieces then._ Bruce helped her remove the old and place the new.

Scarlett tested the arm out first. She moved the finger joints, then her wrist, and finally her elbow. The prosthetic was attached firmly to her upper arm where her elbow once was. _It's where the Joker stopped because he was bored._ She then pushed herself off the table and tested the movement of her prosthetic's ankle and knee. _No. It's my ankle and my knee._ She reminded herself.

"Is it alright?" Bruce questioned as he watched her test her bearings. She nodded and replied, "Yeah, yeah. They're good." She flashed a smile. "More comfortable than Lex's cheap crap." A small smile crossed Bruce's face, but it didn't last long. He went straight back to the serious _I am Batman_ persona.

"Both of them are equipped with a battle mode, which will allow you to use them to your advantage in battle. Your arm is equipped with retractable blades, a grapple, computer system, thermal and electric capabilities. Your leg is also equipped with retractable blades and it can move just as fast and flexible as you. Both of them can be upgraded as you see fit."

"Yeah, maybe I'll add a glitter cannon. I bet Dick will get a kick out of it." She said sarcastically.

Bruce didn't react instead she saw his eyes changed. Her face dropped as she examined him. His eyes had turned to a familiar green. She shuddered as he turned away and placed his mask back over his face. _I'll have to keep an eye on that_.

Scarlett followed him into the main area of the studio. Five large cells filled the room with the Batcomputer in the middle. Three cells on the left and there other two beside a large piece of medical equipment. A doughnut machine as Scarlett used to call it, but it was really just an MRI scanner. Canary stood beside the computer and approached Batman.

"The others are on their way back. They were able to trace Oracle to one of the other islands." Canary explained. Batman walked past her and started typing away on the computer.

"I'll get the bridges down and continue the investigation," Batman informed. "The rest of you can stay here or head back to the Watchtower."

Canary sighed and shook her head, "And he's back." She paused as she looked up at Scarlett. "I see you're already up and walking, and it looks like your wound is healing a lot faster than expected."

"Yeah... I'll have to explain that later. Maybe when this situation is over." Scarlett answered as she scratched the back of her head. Canary took note of her nervousness and determined that it was genuine. Everything about this girl seemed to be true. There was no hidden agenda. She was definitely Scarlett Hunter, the girl who went missing three years ago. _Except she's obviously undergone extreme torture or experimentation._ She looked at her prosthetic arm and leg. _Probably both._

"Here. You'll probably be more comfortable in this." Canary said breaking the awkward silence. She handed Scarlett a tank top, which Scarlett slipped on and gave a small thanks.

The clang of the elevator's gate announced the arrival of the other heroes. Scarlett tightened her elastic band that held up the long strands of her hair as she turned around. Her heart sped up uncontrollably when she saw Dick and Tim. Negative thoughts invaded her mind. They weren't going to recognize her. They weren't gonna trust her. They were gonna yell at her. That's not what happened though.

Nightwing took a double-take when he got a good look at her. He imagined what she looked like with a long, black ponytail and no scars. A smile plastered on her face as she flipped on the trapeze for the first time. All it took was a small curl of a smile for him to launch at her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her with a hand on the back of her head. Scarlett was shocked and almost started to cry, but she held that back. _There would be time for that later._ She returned the hug and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"I thought there was a 'no affection while in uniform' rule."

"Batman's rule; not mine."

The team who entered with him all held questioning looks but didn't say anything. After all, they only knew one thing, this was an important moment for Nightwing. The hug lasted for a while before Robin approached them both. Scarlett looked up and smiled at him, which he quickly returned.

"Scar," They shared their own hug. "Thank god."

Once again, the team was quiet. Some looked everywhere but at the display and others tried to figure out who she was. Batman walked past them and through the team. Scarlett noticed and call out, "Batman, wait!" He didn't stop until he heard Scarlett running after him.

"They want you to do this alone," She began to explain. "They want you to leave your allies alone. You're going to play right into their hands." He glanced at her with a stone face, but his face dropped for a second when she said her next words. "Deathstroke is the one who shot me. The one who tried to kill me and from what I know, he _was_ with the Light, but more than likely-"

"He's still with them..." He finished. With a heavy sigh, he turned back to Scarlett. "They don't know I saved you, Scarlett. We need to keep it that way. Stay here with Robin."

"And the others?"

"Can work on finding Deathstroke. I'm going after Crane and the Arkham Knight." He turned to leave.

"Bruce," He stopped at the entrance of the elevator. "The Arkham Knight..." She hesitated. Should she come clean now? Should she tell him that the Arkham Knight is Jason? No. That wasn't her secret to tell. "He saved my life and I don't think he's doing this on his own accord." When Batman didn't say anything and the elevator gate closed behind him, she continued, "Just be careful, okay?"

_I don't think I can handle losing anyone else._


	11. The Overwhelming Emotions

Scarlett couldn't stop looking at the cells. Seeing the Joker's face on these people, it was unnerving. The very man, who had defiled her and Jason, was taunting her beyond the grave. She thought they were free. They could finally move forward with life, but now, the Joker lives and Jason was on a vengeful streak. _He might kill Bruce._ More dread had filled her chest.

"Scar?"

Her eyes remained locked on the glass, on the cell that held the man who seemed unaffected.

"Scarlett."

But something about that man, Henry Adams, seemed more like Joker than the other three who shared Joker's complexion. The other three had Joker's pale skin and green eyes, but Henry had known of the physical complexion.

"Scarlett!"

Scarlett snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at Tim to realized he was shaking her and now, her hand was wrapped tightly around his wrist. After the realization, she released him and apologized. Tim eyed her through the mask. It was obvious that she had changed from when he saw her three years ago. That was to be expected, but Tim was struggling to see past the walls that Scarlett was putting up. She was trying to act like that hotheaded, perky girl he had met at the Wayne Enterprise Conference, but that wasn't who she was anymore and that was obvious.

Trauma changes a person. Scarlett had most certainly endured life-changing trauma. Her scars could tell part of her story, but only when she was good and ready, would the whole story be revealed.

"Are you alright? You seem to be shooting daggers at Henry." He questioned as he tried to not focused on her darkened expression.

"I'm fine, but..." She stopped and glanced at the glass again. "Are you sure he's immune? Sure, he shows no physical signs of becoming the Joker, but he just..." Scarlett couldn't bring herself to continue. She spun the chair around and looked at the Batcomputer's screen. It was still filled with information on Henry's blood and turning it into a cure. It was broken down into the basic components of DNA. It looked like he was trying to separate Joker's _infected_ blood from Henry's, but it wasn't as simple as Tim would hope.

"Is this a gut feeling or something else?" Tim questioned as he turned his chair to face her, but she kept looking at the data on the screen. He sighed and leaned his head into his hand as his elbow rested on the armrest. His eyes had narrowed through the mask. Scarlett noticed in the corner of her eye.

"Stop that."

"What?"

"That!" She faced him and gestured her hands at his face dramatically. "That freakin' look you're giving me. It's driving me nuts!" His brows remained furrowed, which caused her to kick at his legs. "Stop!"

Even when he stopped looking at her that way, she kept kicking at him. His face softened as he reached out. She pushed at him, but he grabbed her wrists and then took her hands. Tim watched as she shook. Her hands were trembling in his own. Her body was tense as she was hunched over.

"Scar, _you_ need to stop. Stop trying to act like the same person you were when you disappeared. Stop hiding what or who you've become." _If only you knew..._ Scarlett told herself. _And god, do I want to tell you... but that's a burden I can't share._ She pulled her arms away from him and pushed the chair away.

"I- I think I just need to cool off," She stated as she stood up.

"Well, you can't go get some fresh air-"

"Showers?"

"Far left of the medical bay."

Scarlett gave a small smile, gave her thanks, and walked away. Her hand combed into her short hair and grazed the edge of her buzzed sides. She tried to just focus on steadying her breathing, but her heart and mind had other ideas. There were missing pieces from the past three years; those pieces went missing when the chip was removed, or maybe before that, she just didn't realize it until the chip was removed. Since then, her head ached as it tried to find answers.

Her sudden breakdown, in front of Tim, was probably from that and the built-up emotions she was feeling. There would be more for sure, but right now, her body was burning up and she actually needed to cool down.

It was cleansing to have the cold water rinse through her hair and drip down her back. She was thankful the prosthetics were waterproof, or the shower would be more stressful than relaxing. However, she'd still need to make sure they were dry along with the skin they were attached to. But for now, she focused on the cold water. It would wash away the grime that the Light, especially Deathstroke, had left on her. Scarlett scrubbed off a layer of skin and washed her hair, even though Canary had already washed it (due to the bloodstains).

As she reached to turn off the water, something clicked in place. She froze. Her hands trembled once again. "My god-" She stopped and fell against the shower wall. Sliding down to the ground, she put her head in her hands. _How the fuck did they make me forget something like that so many times?_ Scarlett asked herself. Her eyes watered but no tears fell. Instead, she cursed herself for not fighting back sooner and for being so easy to manipulate. Then something else clicked.

In a fluid motion, the shower was turned off and Scarlett was dry and dressed. She pulled her hair up with a hair elastic, which was probably Barbara's but she wouldn't mind. She marched back to the medical bay, where she quickly found her gear. Pulling out a single object, she quickly made her way to Tim.

"Bette- Scar, you okay?" As soon as he saw her face, Tim knew something was wrong. He saw a small oval-shaped object in her hand. She pulled him from his chair and forced the object into his hand. Something was typed into the keypad on the object, but only Scarlett understood.

"You'll forgive me for this, but you have to be safe before anything happens." She explained vaguely. Tim noticed she had yet to look at him face-to-face since coming out. "You're going to be fine."

In the blink of an eye, Tim found himself in new surroundings. After looking around, he realized it was the Bioship. Bart, Jaime, and Garfield stood in shock.

"Rob, what- how did you-" Bart questioned as he looked around the Bioship hull. Tim looked around too and then looked at the device in his hand.

"I-" An explosion from outside the Bioship cut him off. The four of them rushed to the front to see another explosion and fire blooming from the edge of Gotham.

At Panessa Studios.


	12. Afterwards

Scarlett pushed the monitor to the Batcomputer off of her as the fire continued to spread. Cuts were scattered across her face from the shards of the computer screen. She had no time to recover from the explosion. Deathstroke drove his foot into her back and pressed his sword against the side of her neck.

"Should have known that blast bullet wouldn't have killed you," He began almost mockingly. "It seems like something that would kill a normal person only takes you a few hours to recover from."

 _Isn't that what you wanted?_ Scarlett wanted to say.

He twisted blade slightly causing some skin to peel back, "The others took back the order. They decided you were still needed."

"Or they just scared what I could do with the heroes' help?" Scarlett spoke with complete disrespect and she hoped he knew that. The blade was now between her neck and shoulder.

"I think you know the answer."

"Yup," She gave a visible grin. "It's both."

Cold, steel was pushed into her left shoulder and then her right. They were Slade's daggers. More than likely, he was starting to disable her joints, starting with her shoulders. Another blade came to her elbow before a gunshot was heard. The pressure of Deathstroke's foot on her back was lifted. More gunfire pursued. Scarlett pushed herself up and reached for one of the daggers. Her arm ached when she moved to remove it.

Instead, she moved her shoulder in a way that caused the dagger to be pushed out; it caused more damage. Before she could do the same for the other, the dagger was pulled from her shoulder.

"You should have waited before you hurt yourself more," A distorted voice said as they gripped her shoulder. Scarlett sighed in relief.

"You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice."

"Really?" His mask flipped up. "That's not even my voice."

"You know what I mean, Jay."

The Arkham Knight scoped her up and quickly moved her away. As soon as they were on safe grounds, Scarlett pushed herself out of his arms. He took out a first aid kit from his side.

"I've been looking for you since the ACE explosion," He began as he started to clean her wounds. "After Slade kept telling me to look the other way, I realized something wasn't right. Then I found a controlling chip in my helmet. It was only a matter of time before I realized what was going on."

"Well, I can't say I wasn't worried," Scarlett groaned as he continued cleaning the wound. "I was starting to think you might-"

"Kill him?" They were silent for a moment before he continued. He placed a piece of gauze on both openings of the wound and began to wrap a bandage around it. "Nah, I'm past the whole vengeance thing. Despite the Light trying to bring it back. Besides..." He tied the bandage off. "They haven't got me to kill these past three years. You think I could kill the old man?"

"I don't doubt your abilities," She countered.

"Scarlett," He spoke heavily but sincere. "I won't kill him." Scarlett finally turned to him and saw how tired he looked. Under his eyes, his skin was heavily darkened. His pupils were dilated and his eyes were reddened. She was starting to think this had taken more out of him than her. "After all, he's still my dad too."

Jason continued to the next wound. They stayed in silence the whole time. He tied off the bandage and helped pulled her to her feet.

"We shouldn't have let Slade get away." Scarlett inputted. Jason smirked.

"Who said he did?"

Nightwing was the first to jump down from the Bioship. He rushed towards the building of Panessa Studios. Walls had collapsed and the fire still dwindled softly. He rushed inside and jumped down the elevator shaft. There he found four cells that were no longer occupied and a fallen computer monitor. Strangely, the cell that was empty before was now shown with someone inside. Nightwing's eyes narrowed through his mask.

"Slade."

"Grayson," The assassin replied. "Surprised to see me?"

"Nightwing!" Red Arrow yelled out from where he came from.

"Down here!"

"Of course, you wouldn't want to come here alone. Would you, now?" Deathstroke taunted. Nightwing didn't answer; instead, he turned to Robin and Red Arrow who had entered the room. Robin looked around, obviously trying to see signs of Scarlett.

Using the "detective mode" on his mask, Robin scanned the room and found traces of blood matching Scarlett's blood type and Slade's. He followed a trail to find two daggers with a pool of Scarlett's blood. On the floor, there were two, small indentations marked on the ground. Judging by the size of them and length they were from each other, Robin realized that Scarlett was on the ground with the daggers in her shoulders. Another indentation matched Slade's sword and looked to be placed at her neck.

_Something happened that stopped him from inflicting any more damage to her._

He stepped back and continued his search. Miss Martian, Tigress, and the Outsiders entered the room. Nightwing hit a switch on Deathstroke's cell, which made it so he could not hear or see them.

"She's not here, is she?" Tigress questioned. Nightwing shook his head; he combed his hand through his hair.

"She would have shown herself by now," He gestured to Robin. "Robin's already investigating the forensics. There are no computer systems to look through-"

"Actually," Cyborg interrupted. "There's some traces of Apokoliptan tech here. I might be able to trace it if I can find the origin."

"Please, just-" He stopped and turned back to the cell where Deathstroke was. Tigress walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "She just came back. I should have known better than to just leave her there."

"Don't start blaming yourself now," Tigress began. "We're gonna find her."

"I have something!" Robin announced. He crouched down pulled something out of the ground. _A bullet and one that had ricocheted._ He recognized it but hoped he was wrong. After analyzing it though, his theory was confirmed. He handed it to Nightwing as he stood up. "It matches the bullets that the Arkham Knight uses in his sidearm."

"Well, now Bruce can't say no to us going after him," Nightwing pointed out. "Because now he has Barbara _and_ Scarlett. We aren't sitting this out."


	13. The Infamous Harley Quinn

After sneaking through the chaotic streets of Gotham, Jason left Scarlett in a safe house while he went after Barbara. She was currently with Scarecrow, and Jason didn't like that one bit. Scarlett couldn't go with him for two reasons. One, some of the militia were loyal to Deathstroke and would go after her. Two, Scarlett's injuries weren't healing and worsening. The blast wound above her hip had reopened, and the two stab wounds at her shoulders had bled through the bandages. She was on her third set of fresh bandages when she heard knocking at the door.

The knocking was the common fanfare rhythm that many people used. She held Jason's pistol in hand as she looked through the peephole. She was greeted by the blue eye of Harley Quinn who made faces into the peephole.

"Crazy Clown Services! Here for a delivery! Special directions were to come with lots of hugs and smiles." Scarlett couldn't help but smile at Harley's carefree attitude. She opened the door.

"I thought I called Newly Sane Clown Corp," Scarlett joked back.

"We got a name change," She pulled her into a side hug. "I keep forgettin'."

"It's good to see you, Harley."

"Likewise, kiddo," Harley accidentally gripped her side too harshly. Scarlett flinched, making Harley release her. "Sorry. Didn't see those there." Harley moved around her looked at the bandages. She examined Scarlett, looking at how beat up she was. "What the hell happened?"

"Blast shot from Deathstroke and..." Scarlett gestured to her shoulders. "Stabbed."

Her head suddenly started pounding. Images that she couldn't quite understand seemed to flash over her sight. She closed her eyes tightly, but the images were still there. Now, distant voices played in the walls of her mind. Like the images, they were distorted. According to those voices, there was something special and old. It was in Gotham. _Or_ it is Gotham? That was unclear. None of what she could see or hear made sense.

Harley noticed the quick shift in her attitude. Instantly, she jumped to Scarlett's side, dropping everything in her hands and closing the door. She tried to speak with Scarlett, but Scarlett didn't seem to hear her. Harley pulled her to the couch as Scarlett's legs started to cave. She placed her down carefully on the couch as Scarlett began to toss and turn.

The voices Scarlett heard were clear now. It was just one voice now. A man's. He was introducing himself, but this wasn't the first time Scarlett was meeting him.

_My name is Professor Hugo Strange. Can you tell me yours?  
_

_Do you remember that small house you lived?_

_Where did your mother get the money to move you and your siblings?_

_Why was she so secretive with you?_

_Do you remember that?_

_Doctor -- administer another shock. 50 volts._

_60 volts._

_70 volts._

_80._

_120._

Scarlett's eyes shot open as she gasped. Her body was drenched in sweat. She looked over at Harley who suddenly looked relieved. She spoke, "You freaked me out there for a second." When she noticed that Scarlett was still panicked, Harley took her hand and rubbed circles into her palm. "Focus on what you're feeling. The circular motion that I'm doing. Focus on that. Focus on your breathing. In. And out." Harley continued to guide her. Slowly, Scarlett was grounded to her surroundings. Her relaxed and steady breathing was the only thing heard in the room.

"Better?"

Scarlett nodded, "Yeah... Yeah, just give me a minute." She looked around and tried to remember that this was where she was. She was in Jason's safe house, one of many. She was safe. Harley was here and she would look out for her. _I. Am. Safe._

Suddenly, the phone in the room started to ring. Scarlett jumped as Harley grabbed the phone. She reassured Scarlett before answering, "Hey Jay-Jay."

"Where's-"

"She's- uh, here with me. She's just a little shaken up."

"She had flashbacks, didn't she?"

Harley examined Scarlett before answering. Scarlett walked towards a tall mirror that hung on the wall. Her prosthetic hand came to her face and traced the scars at her lip. Then she went to the scar at her forehead, tracing it until her buzzed hair. Her hand fell to her neck but more specifically the 'J' that was beneath her ear.

"Yeah, I think so."

"She was showing signs when I left. Every movement she makes has hesitation. She's panicked. She's-"

"Jay, easy man. I can see that for myself." Harley joked light-heartedly. "There's more to it isn't there? You're obviously worried."

Jason was quiet on the other end. He looked at Barbara who was sitting in the passenger seat. She kept looking at him discreetly, but Jason knew better. He didn't want to freak her out any more than she already was. After all, why would the person who kidnapped you originally take you to the police department? _Because we used to be good friends before I died and I was brainwashed when I kidnapped you._

"She has obvious brain damage and now, she's remembering all the torture and pain she underwent," Jason explained, even though he knew it would get Barbara's attention. "This is going to be a long night if we're going to stop the Light and I worried she's not gonna be up for it, which is fine but-"

"But she can't defend herself to the best of her capability," Harley finished. Jason gripped the steering wheel tighter with a feeling of dread looming over his head. Barbara watched the display of emotion and wondered what the person on the other line of his comm was saying.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Jason," Harley finished picking up what she had dropped off the floor. "I promise... I'll keep her out of trouble. I'll keep her safe."

When Jason didn't reply, Haley repeated her promise and hung up the phone. She picked up one of two baseball bats she brought in. The one she didn't pick up was her signature bat. The words "Good Night" were painted in red and outlined in black. Then in cursive, a lullaby that Harley had written, was inscribed in ink. The lullaby reminded her of two things, two people. One, the Joker, which gave her the anger she needed in a fight and two, the only few people she'd sung the lullaby to, which gave her the determination to see the fight through.

The bat in her hand was much more simple. It was a plain-old wooden bat with painted cartoon-looking blood. This bat wasn't made for Harley though. She walked up to Scarlett who was still examining herself in the mirror. Scarlett looked at Harley first through her reflection and then turned around.

"Got this for you," Harley extended the bat so it was within Scarlett's reach. "You're gonna need a weapon and you used it pretty well back in Arkham City. So..." She waved the bat around a bit. Scarlett couldn't help but give a small smile to her as she took the bat. The barrel end was heavier than the grip. Something heavy must have been in the core. Scarlett brought it up as if she was swinging at an incoming ball. Harley watched as she swung it a few times and went and grabbed something else she had brought in. "And you forgot this last time." Scarlett looked up and laughed while hiding her face. It was a leather jacket made from pieces of Harley's old uniforms, but what set it apart from Harley's was the symbols on the back. The diamond shapes for Harley, vines for Ivy, and four claw marks for Selina. _The Gotham Sirens._ "People need to know who's got your back and why they better not mess with you." Scarlett looked up, and the small amount of joy Harley saw in her eyes was enough for her to know that they were going to get through the night.


	14. Sense of Security

Vines were wrapped tightly around the entire outside of the penthouse in Chinatown. Pamela Isley, Poison Ivy, had taken complete control over; it was Scarecrow's go-to hideout for the night, but it didn't belong to him anymore. Selina Kyle, Catwoman, secured the neighboring building, which had given them control of the block. No militia or long life criminals were around and they would think twice before showing their face.

When Jason arrived on the roof of the penthouse, he saw that Harley and Scarlett had already arrived. Selina held Scarlett in a tight embrace. A small curve on her lips that showed relief and comfort that Scarlett was okay in her arms. He jumped through the already shattered window. As soon as he stood up straight, Selina's arms were around his neck and forcing him into a hug.

"Do you know how long I looked for you two?" Selina questioned but didn't expect an answer. "After what was happening in Arkham, hell I resorted to working with Bruce and before you ask, no I didn't tell anything. As far as he knows, I was just helping to look for Scarlett." Jason looked at Scarlett who was smiling lightly. She seemed to know he was looking at her. She mouthed _"Take the mask off."_

Jason pulled Selina away as he reached to the side of his helmet. The front of his helmet moved back revealing his face. A flash of guilt crossed her face. Her hand went to his cheek. Tracing the 'J' with her thumb, she spoke with a dry voice, "I am so sorry I even let you out of my sight." Tears were at the corners of her eyes. "I knew what had happened to you and if I had just kept both of you close-"

She stopped and silence took hold of everyone in the room. There was a looming feeling of guilt that stayed with the three Gotham Sirens. They found Jason and Scarlett wandering around Arkham City after escaping from the Joker again. Harley recognized them from when they were being tortured originally in Arkham Asylum. She felt responsible for them and became determined to protect them. That's not what happened though. Hugo Strange got to them and the torture continued. The brainwashing began and manipulating too. That's when the Light really tightened their hold on them.

Many of Scarlett's memories of Arkham City had been suppressed, but she could never forget the kindness that the Sirens showed. Jason, however, had every single memory and many of them he wished he could forget. Those memories were important though. Jason knows what Scarlett went through and only he knew the details. He was the only one who could help her through the trauma that was resurfacing.

"It's okay, Selina. We're gonna be fine. We aren't gonna get caught again. We can handle ourselves." Jason reassured.

"And we're still gonna stay with you," Ivy chimed in as she gripped Scarlett's arm. "Both of you."

"Ivy-" Scarlett started.

"It's not for debate, Scar. The heroes are no longer on the top of Savage's list. You two are." Ivy explained. "Either you two go back and tell the supers everything or we stay with you and keep you out of harm's way." Scarlett groaned; she pouted at her with her head tilted back. Ivy looked dead serious as she repeated, "No. Debate."

"Oh wait," Selina snapped her finger as she backed away from Jason. She seemed to remember something. She walked out into the hall as she continued, "Some people came to us after Arkham City. They had been looking for you. So they brought-" She stepped back into the room with one large, heavy box. She dropped it carefully in front of Jason. "-to us in hopes we could give it to you when you resurfaced."

Scarlett circled around the box and crouched down. It was a standard black toolbox with two latches that locked the lid down. She clicked both of them and started to lift the cover, but she stopped to look up at Jason. He sighed heavily, defeated, and crouched down next to her. When they saw the contents of the box, they shared the same reaction. Jason actually laughed softly to himself.

"Should have known."

Jason didn't move to remove anything; he just examined the objects. Scarlett, however, started to pick some of the objects out. Memories came with each of them, but one stuck with her. The first was a red bow allowing with accompanying arrows and a quiver. Her thumb rubbed against the metal as she remembered the smiling, red-headed archer.

_An arrow flew past it's intended target and clattered to the ground. Scarlett dropped her arms and groaned._

_"I missed again."_

_"You aren't exhaling when you release your arrow," Roy pointed out, still leaning against a tree. He was doing his best to teach Scarlett to use archery, but she was too tense and nervous. She was obviously getting frustrated._

_"Is that really that important?" She retorted._

_"Yes," He drew out the last syllable, hoping it would stick. She sighed and brought the bow back up with a new arrow in place. Drawing the string back, Scarlett took a deep breath in, but Roy could see that she was still extremely tense. He was surprised when the arrow was launched into the ground beside the target. Her head fell back._

_"Missed again."_ _Roy laughed and pushed himself off the tree. With her brows furrowed, she glared at him and snapped, "Why are you laughing? It's your fault. You're a lousy teacher, asshole."_

_"You have to relax. Here." He kicked her legs, moving her feet further apart. She then reluctantly brought the bow back up as he gestured to do so. After adjusting her elbow, Scarlett drew the string back and Roy stood back. "Loosen up, breathe, and follow-through." Scarlett breathed in and as she exhaled, she released the string. Her arms remained in place as the arrow shot out. A loud thwack was the audio confirmation. The arrow was lodged in the first blue ring of the target. Scarlett turned around to see a shit-eating grin._

_"Lousy teacher, huh?"_

A puff of air passed through her nose as her smile grew. She took the quiver, which held about twenty arrows and that she designed. Instead of being hooked or strapped in some way to her back, the quiver was designed to wrap around her leg and the arrows were locked in place until she removed them. She could probably calibrate it so only _she_ could remove the arrows.

The sound of scraping metal brought her out of her thoughts. Jason had a straight, long sword in hand; Scarlett recognized it as one Artemis's. She had trained with that very sword many times and in the beginning, Scarlett's back was practically best friends with the ground they trained on. Her stance was always too tight and once again, she was always too tense. Artemis never blamed her though. She was super understanding about it. All of them, Artemis, Bizarro, Roy, Kori, and Rose were all understanding when they took care of her and trained her. Scarlett needed to recover after the explosion and the toxin forced into her lungs. For a long time, she was on oxygen and then an air filter. Even with the oxygen and air filter, Scarlett wanted to be prepared to defend herself. Each of them trained her. She smiled at the three months of memories. Before the hell on Earth.

"Scarlett," Jason said. She snapped out of her thoughts again. "I think this is for you." He handed a wooden box with the lid flipped up. Taking the box, she looked inside to find the golden lasso of submission. A note was folded on top of it. She gently placed the box down and unfurled the note.

_You may need it more than me, kid._

_-Artemis_

"Looks like someone is becoming an official Amazon," Jason said light-heartedly. Scarlett shook her head.

"Not happening. I'll forever be _baby Amazon-in-training._ " Scarlett joked with the name that Artemis called her when her training had taken off. She taught her how to use many different types of swords and other melee weapons, but before using weapons, Artemis continued with hand-to-hand combat (though Scarlett called it butt-to-ground struggle). Artemis jokingly called her 'baby Amazon-in-training' was when Scarlett knocked Artemis down for the first time. Something told her that it was gonna stick.

Jason smiled genuinely as he pulled a letter from the toolbox. He instantly saw that it was signed by all five of them. He started reading the explanation: as soon as Jason was taken, Rose contacted the others and they started searching for both Jason and Scarlett. They traced them to multiple locations, which were all connected to members of the Light. Eventually, they came to Arkham City and had just missed them. They beat themselves up about it but knew deep down that Jason and Scarlett would return to Gotham and the Sirens would there when they did. At the end of the letter, they wrote: "You better call right away especially if you need help." Jason looked up to see Selina holding out a cell phone. He hesitated, not wanting to get them in harm's way, but Scarlett nudged him as if to say, _we need them._ He took the phone and with a heavy heart, he dialed the memorized number of his best friend.


End file.
